Posted
by
msmash
on Tuesday February 13, 2018 @03:50PM
from the interesting-idea dept.

Porsche Classic, Porsche's classic cars division, has turned to 3D printing obscure parts that people might need on occasion. From a report: They already have about 52,000 parts available, but for the truly arcane ones, it's cheaper to 3D print them than make the specialized tools to create them over again. In addition to that 959 lever, Porsche is also 3D printing eight other parts. They are made from steel and alloy and the plastics are made using an selective laser sintering printer, which Porsche describes as: "A process where the material is heated to just below melting point and the remaining energy is applied through a laser to fuse the plastic powder at a selected point." So there you have it! The next time something is busted on your 959 or 356, don't cry and abandon the car, stalled on the side of the road. Call up Porsche. They'll science something for you.

Replicating a vehicle part will still have a significant cost, both in terms of actually making an accurate blueprint of the part, the time involved in 3d printing it, the cost of the required equipment and the cost of the raw materials. In many cases the 3d printed part might cost more than an original mass produced part, especially if that part is still being produced or the manufacturer has significant leftover stocks of it.

If the manufacturer has given up selling those parts, then they'd have a harder t

If he would be trying to *sell* the parts for a profit on some eBay-liexpress-mazon website:Yes, he would be probably infringing some patents and/or trademarks.That's not different from current chinese crappy-cheap knock offs sold on the same site.Except that the guy is probably located in a jurisdiction where enforcing IP rights would be easier for Porsche.

If he is building them himself to use them:Nope fat chance. In most sane jurisdiction, 3D printing his own parts to repair a car would fall un

SpaceX has been very successful 3-D printing metal. For example, their SuperDraco engines are entirely 3-D printed. From what I have read and heard, they are able to do things with 3-D printing that are impossible any other way, including changing the properties of the metal based on location. Heating something to the melting point isn't necessary for strength (i.e. see friction stir welding [wikipedia.org]). 3-D printing does not mean the parts are weak. [sciencemag.org]

That is no longer true. In fact, you can have better control over grain size with 3-D printing than you can with casting. Additionally, you can change the metal composition based on location. SpaceX, for example, makes extensive use of 3-D printing of its metal parts. Their SuperDraco rocket engine is entirely 3-D printed, for example. Here's an older Slashdot story [slashdot.org] where 3-D printed stainless steel more than doubles the strength.

Now, the question for me is: as an owner of one of these cars, what would it cost to license the spare parts database so I can have a printing company of my choice make and finish the parts to my specifications?

Considering that there are only a couple hundred 959's in existence, I'd say a licensing effort would be pointless. They are no doubt charging dubiously huge fees for these 3D printed parts, but if you own a 959 money is already no object.

Also, Porsche charges astronomical licensing fees for anything associated with their brand. Just look at video games for example.. Many times you will see RUF cars instead of actual Porsches in games because they want too much for licensing.

Also, Porsche charges astronomical licensing fees for anything associated with their brand. Just look at video games for example.. Many times you will see RUF cars instead of actual Porsches in games because they want too much for licensing.

Actually, that's not the reason why. The reason was EA had an exclusive license to use Porsche in its games Need for Speed and Real Racing. Exclusive, as in no one else was allowed.

This agreement ended in 2016, after a 16 year exclusivity deal, which means you are now fr

If you have ever actually used 3D metal printing for small or fine parts, you will know it is not print and use. You need to spend some time finishing and fine detail (think gear teeth etc) don't work too well. Possibly they can improve it but chances are it will get worse when it gets cheaper. When we tried it the parts were unusable but we were trying to make parts that did not just look like something but were useful in a small unit. For something big and smooth like a lever seems like it would be ok. Th

Yes, quite.What we need next is some kind of machine that you can use to cur metal into shapes, perhaps using some kind of spinning tool and an x/y/z movable bed..

Oh way, its called a milling machine, and combined with a tig welder, you can replicate a LOT of things without the problems associated with the random-and-unpredictable finish and strength of 3d metal printing.

Metal printing will make 'easy' parts easy (remember, you have to come up with an accurate 3d model), and hard parts will still be hard.

I have a 1972 Eldorado convertible. It doesn't have excessive plastic, but some parts, such as the molding next to the back seat, which also holds the latch for the parade boot, are showing their age (and then some: that part showed it by disintegrating when I tuned the latch).

Being able to print these would be a big deal. Cadillac isn't going to make any more, and it would be prohibitively expensive if they did. But if a straightforward ways mad to scan these, printing would be a truly desirable option.

Because they didn't need them anymore.German efficiency + implementing Japanese Lean methodology , if you don't need it anymore get rid of it as it will be wasting space.

For these older models, they don't need the space for a full production line. As most people will go to the Junk Yard to get the missing part. Offering 3d Printing of the part is probably the most affordable way to do it. As custom tooling a part will be wicked expensive.

They didn't take it out back & blow it up, but machining tools don't last forever.

Some of them were probably used (with modifications) in subsequent model years, most of them just wore out & weren't replaced since they weren't making that exact part anymore. For the rest, molds and tooling takes up space or rust and the materials they're made out of can be recycled into new parts. There isn't a lot of money to be made in keeping tooling for a 30+ year old car that they only made about 300 of to be

There's a ridiculous amount of money in supporting hundreds of rare, valuable cars.

If there are thousands and millions of examples, you've got competition: Everyone and their brother will be making parts that compete with your own. Hundreds, though? That's a captive market and you can name your price.

Science isn't about WHY. It's about WHY NOT. Why is so much of our science dangerous? Why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit you on the butt on the way out, because you are fired. - Cave Johnson

Porsche - or at least Porsche North America - got out of the 356 parts business around 2000, and sold all remaining NOS stock to Stoddard

Fortunately, I have all the weird and special bits and pieces for my 356c coupe- and there are some skilled artisans making 3rd party metal parts for what I'll have to replace eventually (door skins, etc)

Make fun of it, but this is the future of manufacturing. When 3D printing reaches the point where you can churn out the parts for whatever it is you need parts for locally, or just the make whole product at your local 3D printing shop from plans downloaded from the internet, it will upend the world of manufacturing as we know it in a big way. Never mind if we ever get to a point where you can 3D print your own AK-47 that can fire 30k rounds without the receiver breaking or the barrel exploding in your face

3D printed a hand grenade? Where do you get the detonator and explosive from? The rest of it is just metal. It can simply be a tin can filled with nuts and bolts.As soon as complex compounds can be assembled by a printer.... Well you're in Startrek's universe then [wikipedia.org]

....Never mind if we ever get to a point where you can 3D print your own AK-47 that can fire 30k rounds without the receiver breaking or the barrel exploding in your face like the original can or... hand grenades?... RPG's?

You could make small arms with conventional machine-shop tools. Why is this always an issue when people talk about 3d printing??? No-one is saying, "if you let people buy a hobby lathe, they could start turning out hand grenades and rifle barrels."

"if you let people buy a hobby lathe, they could start turning out hand grenades and rifle barrels

So true. I bought a hobby lathe for use in scale modelling, and (even though I've never owned a gun) I now feel the irresistible urge to turn nothing but gun barrels. I am hackertourist, and I am an addict.

You obviously aren't familiar with manufacture efficiencies. You will never be able to be as efficient as a manufacturing plant that churns out the same part every 5 seconds from cheap raw materials.

3D printing is, and always will be for specialized parts in limited quantities. If it is a large enough market, they will makes molds and dies so they can produce the part faster and cheaper. It's called economies of scale.

As a Porsche owner and PCA member, I can verify that the prices are outrageous. My half shafts cost over $400 each, but I purchased the exact same items for a VW bus for $80 each. The OEM A/C slider knobs are $30 each, and the rubber sunroof seal is $120. The A/C compressor was $600 and was stamped Denso.

I have learned quite a bit, and have performed much of the maintenance myself. Rebuilt power steering was ridiculous, but I did my own for $80 worth of seals (still a ripoff for o-rings).

Clearly the specialised tools existed at the time the car was manufactured, so why do these tools no longer exist? Were they destroyed?Surely it would make sense to keep such things for production of classic parts, especially for a manufacturer like Porsche.